Spring-platform for road-wagons



' 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

, C. W. SALADEE. SPHNG lLATPORM FOR'ROAD WAGONS. 110.411,732. I, Patented Sept. 24, 1889.

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(No Model.) l 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. G. W. SALADEE.

SPRING PLATFORM 'FUR ROAD WAGoNs. No. 4-1 1,732. Patented Sept. 24, 1889.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. opW. SALADEE.

l SPRING PLATFORM POR ROAD WAL-GUNS. y No. 411,732. Patented Sept. 24, 188.

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l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CYRUS IV. SALADEE, CF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

SPRING-PLATFORM FOR ROAD-WAGONS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 411,732, dated September 24, 1889. Application filed .Tune 24,1889. Serial No. 315,300. (No model.)

To' @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, Crans W. SALADEE, of Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring-Platforms for Road- TWagons; and I do hereby declare the following to be. a full, clear, and exact description of `my invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in spring-platforms for road vehicles, and has for its objects, rst, to provide a simple construction that will secure great strength and rigidity of parts and lessen the cost of manufacture as compared with the ordinary springplatforrn now in general use; second, to dispense with the employment of the usual reach connecting the axles and to greatly facilitate the turning of the vehicle in the shortest possible area; third, to relieve the cross strain upon the front platform and wagon-body when turning, and, fourth, to prevent the action of the springs from rotating the axle. I attain these objects by the construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described herein. The matter constituting my invention is specifically defined in the appended claims.

A In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a wagon-body mounted upon my improved spring platforms. Figs. 2

their proper relation to the wagon-body, which is shown in outline by the dotted lines in these gur'es. Fig. e is a detached plan of the upper or D plate of the fifth-wheel. Fig. 5 is an enlarged side elevation of the fth-wheel and supports, showing the working parts in central section. attaching the inner ends of the central springs of the front and rear platforms to the center bottom rail of the wagon-body. Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the wagon-axle, and illustrates the manner of 1 attaching the side and center springs at different levels,as shown by the dotted lines l l and 2 2. Figs. 8, 9, 10, 1l, l2, 13, 14, l5, and 16 illustrate modifications of my invention, which are further described hereinafter.

Similar letters 'refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

and 3 are plan views of the front and rear platforms in Fig. 6 illustrates the manner of Two independent spring-platforms support the wagon-body-one at the front end and one at the rear end-and each is suspended from a bearing-plate similar to the lower plate of the fifth-wheel rigidly attached to the wagonbody and an arrangement of springs similar to that used in the front platform.

The spring-platforms shown in the drawings are independent of each other, and either may be used to support one end of a wagonbody, while some other well-known means `may be employed to support the opposite end.

In the drawings, R represents the body of the'vehicle, the bottom frame of which is provided witlg the cross-bars O and C and alongitudinal central bar O2, connecting the side and end sills of the body, and shown in dottedV lines in Figs, 2 and 3. Rigidly secured to the bars O and O2 is the upper or D plate D, the center of the cross-bar of said plate being bored to receive the pivotal spool E, provided with a flange E.

C represents the lower plate of the fifthwheel, which is preferably segmental in form and arranged to bear against the lower surface of the plate D. To the under plate C are rigidly attached on either side the main supporting-springs A A, Fig. 2, which extend from thence diagonally to the axle at or near its opposite shoulders. At the center of the arc C and on itslower surface is formed, preferably integral therewith, the boss F, as shown in detail in Fig. 5. The lower extension F2 of the boss F penetrates the hub of the under brace or hanger-` G, as seen in Fig. 5. The upper plate D is bored to receive the hollow spool E, (provided with the flange E,) which passes through this plate and rests upon the lower plate C. A bolt F passes through the spool E, boss F, hanger G, and the rear end of the center spring B, (when the latter is e1nployed,) and all the several parts are securely held together by means of said IOO bolt and the under brace or hanger G. The outer ends of the hanger G are curved upward and bolted to the central frame-piece O2, but may be turned at right angles to this position and bolted to the cross-bar O; or two braces crossing each other may be employed, or a hanger with four arms. A safety-hook E2 supports the front edge of the under plate C, and serves as a stop to limit the turning of the wagon, so that the wheel shall not come in contact with the sides of the body, thereby omitting the application of the usual rubirons. Stops N N are formed on the lower plate C, Fig. 2, which engage each side of the safety-hook E2, and thus limit the-movement ofthe axle in turning the vehicle.

It will now be seen, by reference to Fig. 5, that while the upper plate D of the fifthwheel and the hanger G are iminovably connected to the bottom frame of the body the spool E, lower plate C, bosses F and F2, center spring B, and spring-brace H vare firmly united by the through-bolt F' and move together in their respective bearings when turning the vehicle. The side springs A A and the central spring B, Figs. l and 2, are in this instance placed in different horizontal planes to prevent the rotation of the axle by the vibration of the springs. The outer ends of the springs A A are pivotally secured to the shackles P P and the outer end of the ccntral spring B t-o the shackle P', Fig. 7, all arranged preferably below the axle, whereby to stay the latter against rotating. In this instance the axle is bent down at its center, thereby placing the pivotal bolt of the shackle P', as on line 2 2, in a lower plane than the pivotal bolts of the shackles P P, as on line l l. The same depression of the central spring is maintained in relation to the side springs throughout their entire length, as seen in Fig. 1, whereby the action of the springs will not have a tendency to rotate the axle. If preferred, the axle may be straight, or nearly so, and the springs A shackled above the axle and the spring B below the axle, which will accomplish the same purpose.

The rear spring-*platform is preferably provided with a plate K and springs A', similar in construction to the plate C and springs A, with the difference th at the plate K is rigidly secured to the cross-bars O' and O2 of the wagon-body R. A central spring B' has its lower leaf bent upward at its inner end and secured by a bolt J' to the plate K, as in Fig. 6. Further stiffness and security is afforded by a spool J and bolt L, which connect the spring and wagon-body at this point.

In Figs. 8, 9, l0, 11, l2, 13, 14, 15,and 16 are shown a circular foi-'m of fifth-wheel and details for front platform. The mode of attachment of the springs inthe front plat-- form is shown clearly in Figs. 12 to 16,- in

rigidly attached to the plate C, Aand Gr the hanger attached to the body or upper plate D. B, the center spring, is attached to the hub F by the through-bolt F', and H',the extension of the lower leaf, is attached to the under side of the lower plate C, for rigidity. For further security the bolt F' may be formed as shown in Fig. 14, so as to inclose the springB instead of piercing it.

Having fully described my invention, what l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a spring-platform, the combination of a fifth-wheel placed in the rear of the front axle and secured to the bottom of the body, side springs diagonally extended from the fifth-wheel tothe axle at or near the opposite should ers thereof, and a lon gitudinally-a-rranged central spring also extended from said fifth-'wheel to the axle, said side and central springs having their inner ends rigidly con`- nected to the fifth-wheel and their outer ends pivotally connected topthe axle in different horizontal planes, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. p 2. In arear spring-platform for road-wagons,

the combination,with the bottom of the bodyy and the hind axle, side springs radially extended from the bottom to the axle at widely-separated points, a longitudinally-arranged cen.` tral spring also extended from the bottom of said body to the axle, the outer ends of said side and central springs being pivotally con-V nected to the axle, their inner ends rigidly secured in relation to tliebottom of the body, and having both ends of said central springs suspended in a lower plane than the side springs, whereby to prevent the rotation of the axle by' the vibration of the springs, sub-V stantially as set forth.

3. In a spring-platform of the character de scribed, the combination of a fifth -wheel placed in the rear of the front axle,` provided with an upper plate secured to the bottom of` the body, a lower plate provided with a pivotal boss on its bottom surface, a brace or hanger attached to the bottom frame of the body and provided with a central bearing adapted to support the pivotal boss and lower plate, a flanged spool passing through the upper plate, and a bolt extended through said spool, lower plate, and hanger, substantially as set forth.

4. In a spring-platform, a fifthwhee'l provided with an upper fixed plat-e, a brace or hanger extending over the pivotal p oint of the wheel, a spool passed through said upper plate and resting upon its under plate at its' pivotal point, and a bolt passing through the spool, lower plate, and hanger, substantially as described. p

5. In aspring-platforni of the character de` scribed, a fifth-wheel secured to the bottom` of the body, a hanger extended over the piv-V otal center of the wheel and connected with the upper plate andthe body, the lower plate of said wheel being pivoted between the up- IOO IIO

per plate and hanger, and a safety-hook at the front portion of said fifth-n heel, substantially as set forth.

6. In a spring-platform of the character described, a fifth-wheel secured to the bottom of the body, a hanger extending over the pivotal center of said whee1,its lower plate pivoted between the upper plate and hanger, and springs rigidly attached to the lower plate and extending radially therefrom to the axle, substantially as set forth.

7. In a rear spring-platform, a plate rigidly attached to the bottom frame of the wagonbody and side springs rigidly attached to said plate and extending radially therefrom to the axle at or near its shoulders, in combination with a longitudinal central spring attached to the plate by a loop in one ot its leaves at the inner end and a spool and bolt placed to the rear end of the loop, substantially as de` scribed.

8. In a spring-platform, a central spring having its innerend attached to the pivot of the fifth-wheel, one or more of its leaves being bent upward and attached to the lower plate of the wheel, in combination with side springs directly attached to said lower lplate and a hanger and bolt securing the lower plate and springs to the bottom frame of the body, substantially as described.

9. In a spring-platform of the character described, a fth-wheel provided with an upper fixed plate, and a lower plate provided with stops on its periphery located equidistant from the center and in front, in combination with a centrally-located safety-hook rigidly fixed in relation to bottom of the body, extended over the lower plate of the wheel, and adapted to engage the stops on said plate, substantially as set forth.

l0. In a road-wagon, a fifth-wheel consisting of two plates secured to the bottom of the body, each plate being provided with a central hub and radial arms extending from the hub to the periphery, said arms in the lower plate being adapted to receive the inner ends of springs extending thence to the axle, snbstantially as set forth.

OYRUS W. SALADEE. l/Vitnesses:

WM. M. MONROE, J. A. OSBORNE. 

